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I say this somewhat "tongue-in-cheek" but my immediate reaction - elation - then I realized they were only talking about him staying retired. I thought we had another Michael Jacksonesque celebrity death on our hands... I could not even begin to comprehend what the ESPN TV coverage would have been like. Chris Berman would have been rolled out of mothballs for this one.

Got an email from the NAFC today touting a new product (or should I call it, pattern) from a company called Fishouflage. I don't know exactly what to make of this stuff yet. It's not really like normal camo - you're not supposed to blend into anything - it's more just for fashion purposes.FROM THE FISHOUFLAGE WEBSITE:Although artistically similar to the 3D hunting camouflage patterns you’re all familiar with, the patent-pending Fishouflage™ patterns weren’t designed to hide you, your boat, or your gear from the fish. These patterns were designed wholly and solely to be the “lifestyle identifier” for the worldwide angling community. These patterns, and all those that will follow, were created for those men and women who take their recreational fishing so seriously they chose to be called “anglers” instead of fisherman or fisherwoman. Fishouflage™ allows those who are dedicated and committed to their angling to wear their passion on their sleeve (or their boat, or thei…

If anybody knows me, they know cancer is on my sh*tlist...big time. Although I'm not a huge fan on testing anything on animals, if it will help someone, I'm in.

OSU Research Finds Trout are Better Models for Cancer Research than Miceby Chris Spitzer, The OregonianMonday July 20, 2009, 8:20 PM

A rainbow trout can inspire and inform. It can lead a young fisherman to a life-long career studying human health. It can reveal the risks of carcinogens, and help develop treatments to prevent cancer. It can become the centerpiece of a world-class research facility that may reshape how government agencies regulate environmental toxins.

George Bailey knows all this and has plenty of fish stories. As a professor, he spent three decades studying disease with trout in his aquatic laboratory at Oregon State University.

From outside, the building sits on a dusty lot just outside of Corvallis and doesn't look like much. Walk inside, and you'll find a bustling laboratory. The air is cool a…

I came across this article (and more importantly these pictures) while doing my daily surfing through the news feeds. Remind me not to go swimming in Alabama anytime soon.

Wait a second: We swim in the Gulf with creatures like this? HmmmmPosted by Jeff Dute, Outdoors Editor July 20, 2009 5:55 PMDAUPHIN ISLAND -- It was odd-fellows day at the scales at the 77th Alabama Deep Sea fishing Rodeo on Saturday and people still can't stop talking about the catches.Sure, there are plenty of mutant-type fish weighed in the "regular" categories. I mean, you just don't see every day a 64-pound king mackerel or 120-pound amberjack like those brought Friday. Fish like these rightfully create an electric buzz around the scale.You also don't often see Dr. Bob Shipp, dean of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama, who's been a rodeo judge since 1980, leave the weigh station to photograph a fish. He did that twice to snap shots of Joey Lapeyrouse's huge king ma…

Lilly & I hit the Limerick Carnival last Saturday night. Mommy was having a "Ladies Night DBW SupeR CraZy SALE!" at our house so it was the perfect opportunity to escape for a couple of hours.

When we got there, we got Lilly the unlimited ride wristband, so she was good to go from the start. Lilly, being the "big girl" she is, wanted to go on all the rides by herself, so I let her. I had no worries about her going on the Merry Go Round, Fun House, or even the mini Roller Coaster, but I'll admit I was a little apprehensive about her going up all those steps to the top of the "Super Slide." But you know what? She did it - all by herself. Watching your daughter smile as wide as she can, well a prouder Daddy there could not have been.

I read an article today in the new Field & Stream magazine about one of the upcoming issues for Pennsylvania trout anglers; the huge demand for Marcellus Shale Natural Gas. The shale runs from West Virginia, right through PA, up into New York state, and traps a gigantic reservior of natural gas beneath it. Drilling has already started in Western PA and is spreading like wildfire. How much is this gas worth? Well, the estimated worth of PA's share would be upwards of 1 trillion dollars. Yes, that's trillion.

So assuming the state gets some cut of this action, this is great news, right? Well, not exactly...as there are some pretty significant environmental side-effects to this drilling. First off, it requires quite a bit of water to make it go. And where does this water come from? Right out of local streams & rivers. Also, the development of the infrastructure to make the drilling possible will create a significant amount of additional run-off, meaning higher t…

ESPN usually has some pretty good coverage of the annual ICAST trade show in the Outdoors section of their website. The Day 1 video recap outlines this year's manufacturing trend of adapting successful hard bait designs into soft plastic versions.

Enough about fish...what kind of Dad would I be if I didn't show off some pics of my daughter?Here's some recent ones of Lilly being Lilly:

Lilly shooting the water rockets at the Please Touch MuseumMore Please Touch...piano anyone?Lilly started ACPPA Art Camp last week, took a lot out of her......the next day too!!!Inspecting Mommy & Daddy's fresh paint job of the foyer this morning

Sorry Steve, no matter how many stamps you stick on it, you can't mail a trout out of California...even for deer meat...

Excerpt from July 9th LA Times' Outposts Section:

Fish and Game Q&A: Can I mail trout to someone out of state? Can he send me venison?Question: I was wondering about the laws on mailing fish. A friend of mine took me to Eagle Lake a few years ago, and to return the favor I always bring him some fish on the way home. He is going to be moving to Kansas and I want to send him some of the prized fish. Is it legal to ship them through the mail? I know I can get live lobsters from Maine, but they are a commercial product. My friend also wants to try to send me some venison but we're not sure of the laws there either. Thank you for your help. (Steve)

Answer: Unfortunately, it is not legal to ship trout outside of California (FGC Section 2356.) You also cannot personally transport them to another state, unless you have a nonresident angling license or are on a…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to take a new look at how much habitat needs to be protected for the bull trout - in the latest Obama administration rollback of Bush administration reductions in the Endangered Species Act protections for fish and wildlife.By JEFF BARNARD - AP Environmental WriterThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to take a new look at how much habitat needs to be protected for the bull trout - in the latest Obama administration rollback of Bush administration reductions in the Endangered Species Act protections for fish and wildlife.Based on the decision, a federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by environmental groups challenging cuts to critical habitat designation for the threatened fish. Bull trout numbers have dwindled due to logging, mining, grazing and dams.Judge Robert Jones in Portland, Ore., cited an inspector general's report that the bull trout was one of 13 species whose protection was jeopardized by influence …

The title of this clip from National Geographic says "Giant Trout," but it's actually a Mongolian Taimen, which I guess is a bit of a distant cousin of a salmon...but with a bigger appetite. About 1:35 into this clip one of the anglers mentions that they've been known to eat small dogs. Nice. Let's get some of these stocked in Stony Creek, right?

Did some more bank fishing today on the Schuylkill River near the Limerick boat launch. Got into some nice bass tossing 3" senkos. Fairly sure I caught the same fish twice (about 3 hours apart). You tell me...

The folks over at Mepps keep the deals coming. If you're planning on putting down large on some Agilas, two Little Wolf lures make for a nice freebie.Get 2 FREE Mepps Little Wolf spoons with a $60 order Order $60* worth of Mepps lures before July 31 and you'll get two FREELittle Wolf spoons. Featured colors include our new Black/Yellow/Red and Silver/Blue/Green. Not only are these lures FREE, but you get to choose both the size and hook style. Our Color Technology studies have shown us these two new colors are very effective under a wide variety of fishing conditions. Get started on your order here.* (After all discounts are applied. Little Wolf offer good through July 31, 2009)